Thought processes and conversations started under the tilted cap of Tropicana Field. Someday everyone will know the Rays play in St. Petersburg, Florida, not TAMPA, or the fictitious city of TAMPA BAY.

Talk Radio Stoking the Rays Fires

Tampa Bay’s Sports Talk Radio formats are in the same old as most of those encircling the MLB communities. You got your syndicated Sports shows that pop on for hours in the late morning and early afternoon on various spots on the FM dial like the “Mike and Mike Show” or the obnoxious little troll on the “Jim Rohme Show”.

Then around the time the clock strike 3, you get some of the localized radio instigators and rough-talkers that tend to hit the air waves running with a negative vibe, or venom in their voice attacking instead of informing people. Most of the Tampa Bay Talk Radio hosts have a good center of mediation and do not try and throw the shock value into their daily programming.

And with the Tampa Bay Rays entering their third losing game in a row earlier this work week, the local Talk Radio phone lines were buzzing and full of anti-Maddon, anti-Rays chatter surrounded by a cloud of negativity that has not been seen here since Hal McRae jogged around Tropicana Field. Entering this past weekend, the Rays had gone 3-0 to begin their 9-game road journey by sweeping the Seattle Mariners for only the second time in franchise history, but instantly, the positive Kumbaya community feeling seemed to begin crumbling as soon as the team lost on Monday night.

We heard on the Rays Radio Network, a rejuvenated Ben Sheets take the Rays down hard on Saturday afternoon to start the Rays loss avalanche, then witnessed on the Rays Television Network the 19th Perfect Game in MLB history by leftie Dallas Braden who personally handed the Rays their first road series loss of the 2010 season. Then immediately, the Rays stumbled out of the gate against the Los Angels Angels of Anaheim and lost a critical extra inning affair to start their 3-game losing stint in Anaheim, where losses have always been a premium.

At that moment, I think the edge of panic and uncertainty on this team’s foundation scared some of the uninformed members of the Rays Republic, and instant shock waves were developed when radio hosts tossed out a bevy of negativity gernades.

Rays Radio Network

The Rays were a collective 22-9 before they tasted the sweet nectar of success again on Tuesday and Wednesday night. But even with one of the best starts in Rays franchise history, and one of the best records ever after only 33 games, the approaching poison was overflowing on the radio waves about the Rays team philosophy and hitting consistency. And a lot of the befuddled radio muses were about things that were not accurate, but were the fables of rambling madmen bent on destroying instead of building up the localities hopes of series resurgence to end this road trip on a high note.

It verged on throwing chum into the waters of Tampa Bay to see what would surface and attack it next.

The Tampa Bay Talk Radio call-in sharks instantly smelled fresh blood, and their sense of common reasoning and comments quickly evolved into a frenzy feeding off each others negativity and constant bites and ill-advised snippets were made towards the team. I have been a part of this back and forth bantering by Rays fans in the past, both on the air waves and standing in lines at the stadium and sometimes I have gotten heated by the ignorance of people who do not seem to truly understand, or want to be told the truth.

But this time I was not going to digress to their lowly depths. I did not want to take a step backwards and give the rebel rouser’s anything to sink their nasty teeth into, or let them try and prey on another soul who still believes and sees positive signs on the horizon. Rays fans sometimes seem to forget just how far this Rays franchise had launched forward just in the past three short years. From the Rays uniform and logo change, to a true validation of character and positive energy in the clubhouse that makes players anxious to come to the ballpark.

Ask any of the ex-Rays from the past like Aubrey Huff, Fred McGriff or even Baseball Hall of Fame member Wade Boggs if they felt this type of leadership and commitment before in their Rays days. I would bet the farm they will emphatically tell you it is miles above the tension and the turmoil they encountered while wearing their Rays gear. This team is for real and is solidly got their feet on the ground and not stuck in the quicksand of the past.

One stumble on the road and this Tampa Bay region is already seeking a scapegoat or martyr to throw on the bonfires or burn in effigy. That to me is the fault of the Talk Radio hosts who have let the rousing get all consuming before they try to steer the madness a certain direction. I always thought it was the role of the radio host to mediate the approaching storm of alienating opinions by cultivating it with positive affirmations to show an alternative view instead of stoking the fires with kerosene? But then again, I might be old fashioned and not into the regiment of shock jock mentalities or misguided angst.

But it was hard for me here. I have been known to not back down from a fight or a argument, but this recent mob mentality was a bit too extreme for me. And even if a random Rays fan tried to inject their positive spin on the issue and got a brief moment to speak, he was quickly consumed and destroyed by the masses with their nasty wave of opinions that seemed to sting the caller like a hundred wasps attacking an intruder.

Some of the negative Nellie’s were throwing logic out the window by expressing their opinions like they are spun off golden rays, but forgetful that underneath was a stench and a rotting decay of ignorance and annoyance. And there were a few radio hosts more than eager to let the bloodletting commence in hopes that ratings would take upwards trends, boosted by the loud and proud head-bobbing brood that did not even think of researching for the truth before spewing their carnage onto the radio waves.

How could they just throw away the truth of the Rays historic April 2010 which is not more than a year removed from one of their worst starting points (9-14 in 2009) in club’s history is beyond me. But it is the job of the radio host to move the conversation towards fertile grounds and not fester into the battlefields of discontent or dismay, unless that is their intention. So should we be actually attacking or using subterfuge towards the negative Talk Radio hosts, or just take it on the chin knowing that one day their listeners will awaken to see their motives and move on down the radio to another more rewarding and charismatic voice.

With their victory on Wednesday evening, the Rays posted another win and boosted this road trip record to 6-3. More than respectable considering the past debacles and pratfalls that usually encounter the team on a jaunt into the West Coast Major League Baseball regions. A 6-3 mark is winning over 2/3rds of their games, which for most teams is a beautiful success, and something to build on coming into a small 5-game home stand. But the Rays snarling mob have gotten used to winning after that almost perfect 9-1 road trip to start the season and took that past record as their focal point instead of the fact we still lead our American League East division.

The Rays organization has built a winning tradition here that did not have a footing before 2007 in both the record and the clubhouse. Come heck or high water, this region should embrace and rejoice in the Rays triumphs and forgive the minor setbacks and focus again on the long term goal…Playoffs and beyond. I can tell you I personally do not listen to Talk Radio before heading to a Rays game. I want to be filled with positive thoughts and energies before stepping within the confines of Tropicana Field. But I do partake in the Rays post-game show and enjoy the recaps and most of the banter expressed by the Rays fans on the broadcast.

But every once in a while, a “Negative Nellie” get through to Rays Radio host Rich Herrera and he lets them get out their poison before he tries to again fill them with the positives and show them alternative views and thoughts about the same issue they just vented. And that is a firm example of a Talk Radio host being the skipper of the radio show and steering it off the rocks and sandbars to provide positive affirmation not matter if we win or lose the contest.

This is not to mean this region needs a enema of the negative or even overflow of controversial shock Talk Radio personalities. We just need a sense of unity to get people to want to head to the ballpark, and the negative energy just evoke a sense of “bridge-phobia” or even apathy to the whole Rays situation. To paraphrase Ron Burgundy from “Anchorman”, “Stay classy Tampa Bay!”.

2 Comments

Sports radio here is totally out of control. I myself have a rapore with 3 or 4 of the shows. But I’m with you in thinking this sort of negativity can be very counter productive to the Ray’s cause. Here in NYC with the sheer numbers, everythings slips through cracks for the unconcerned. It’s easier to ignore the negativity here.
mike

Mike,
I seriously do not know how the people in the NYC region let some of this stuff wash off their back like a duck in water.
Maybe it is a hardened outer shell to the shooting of Bull towards the teams, or the realization that they might not be the dynasties sometimes you want them to be….It got me perplexed.
By sheer numbers I know your region blitzes the locales with views from every angle.
With the limited well-known shows in this region, it is more of the hosts view or nothing most nights….which is a grave misrepresentation of some of the real truths…Such is life.

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